Make a Poster

Make a Poster

Make a Poster

April 19, 2017Molly Shapiro

You may know us for our photo editing prowess, but did you know that you can create amazing-looking posters with our online design tool? If you’re new to design, templates are the easiest way to begin your project. But if you want to start from scratch with a blank canvas and turn it into an original design, we can help you achieve your visual dreams.

Join us for these step-by-step tutorials on how to create advertising posters. Once you’re through, you’ll have the knowledge and skills you need to design any type of project you want.

Use graphics to make a poster

Start with a blank canvas

Hover over Design on the PicMonkey homepage and click Custom size. Enter the pixel dimensions of your canvas and click Make it! (This canvas is 2400 x 3600 pixels.)

Click the Basic Edits tab on the left side, then click Canvas Color. Use the color picker or type a hex code into the box above the color picker. We used d6f0e5 to get that lovely minty green color.

Add graphics

Click the Graphics tab (the butterfly icon), and choose Geometric, from the menu. Click the black circle.

Once the circle appears on your canvas, move it into place by dragging it. To change its overall size, drag the corner handles. You can stretch it on one side by dragging the lines in between corner handles.

Change the color to charcoal by putting the hex code 444444 into the Color 2 box in the Graphic palette.

Keep adding smaller circles, specifying either charcoal or mint green for Color 1 and Color 2. To get the best control of your graphics as you move them around, click the Layers palette button below your design. The arrows atop this palette let you specify which layer (graphic, text, or another image) is on top so you can select it more easily.

To create the strings, we used the rectangle shape, made it white, and elongated it until it was long and thin like a guitar string. You can make multiple strings of the exact same size and shape by right clicking the string and selecting Duplicate graphic.

To make the bridge of the guitar, you’ll do the same process of adding geometric shapes and positioning them.

Add text

Click the Text tab (The “Tt” icon on the far left), then click the Add Text button at the top of the panel. Click inside the text box and type your message.

It’s a good idea to put each line of text in a separate box so you can maneuver them more easily and get your spacing just right. Reposition your text boxes by dragging them.

Use erase and effects to create a poster

Here’s an example of another promotional poster we made that utilizes some of our more advanced tools. This time, we’re going to begin the process with a photo.

Tint your photo

In the Editor, Click Open at the top, choose the place where your photo is stored, and select your photo.

Go to the Effects tab (the second from the top on the left-hand side) and choose Tint, which is located in the Paintbox group. Use the color picker to choose a tint for your photo. We gave our photo an orange tint. Click Apply.

Export your photo to your computer. You can save to Hub, which makes it easy to find your images whenever you need them.

Make a canvas and add your photo

Now go back to the homepage, hover over Design and click Custom size. Enter the pixel dimensions of your canvas and click Make it!

Go to Canvas Color and click the Transparent canvas box.

To open your photo as an graphic, click the Graphics tab on the left-hand side (the butterfly icon), then click the Add your own button at the top. Choose your photo from wherever it’s stored.

Erase parts of your photo

When your photo appears, the Graphic palette will open. Click Eraser on the palette, choose an eraser size and hardness, and then erase the background of your photo, leaving just the object or person or large furry creature you want to keep.

Click the Basic Edits tab (the first icon on the left-hand side). Go to Canvas Color and use the color picker to select your background color.

Add graphics, text, and texture

Use graphics from the Geometric group to create the orange rectangle at the bottom and the pointed line in the middle. Add your text like we did in the example above.

To erase the portion of your image that falls below the line, select your image and use the eraser tool.

For the final touch, go to the Textures tab (the weave icon on the left-hand side) and click Smudge. We chose the second option and used the Fade slider to make the texture more subtle.

Here’s the finished product:

Fast fliers with Collage

If you want to have some of the layout and design of your poster taken care of for you, consider using our Collage tool. All you have to do is go to Collage; choose a layout; add photos, swatches, and text; and you’ve got an instant poster. We have a great introduction to using Collage, as well as a video tutorial on how to make a photo collage.

Turn inspiration into action. Treat yourself to the creative toolkit that we call a PicMonkey membership.

Molly Shapiro

In addition to her work on the PicMonkey blog, Molly writes about topics as varied as politics, finance, global health, and online dating. As a fiction writer, she’s published two books, both available on Amazon through totally non-sketchy retailers. A midwestern transplant who now calls Seattle home, Molly firmly believes that the Space Needle is way cooler than the Eiffel Tower.